Ironing board



July 21, 1936. p N, HOWARD 2,048,070

IRONING BOARD Filed Jan. 2, 1934 INVENTOR 1 ,401. 4/. Haw/42.0

Patented July 21, 1936 "F311! P-AT-ENT OFFICE IRONING-BOABD I Paul N. liowarirseattle,:Wash. H v 1 a lipplicati onjJanuaryz, 934, Serial No. 704,944

' s'cl l (C1..6s 10) This invention relates to improvements in ironing boards, and more particularly to boards of that character having a supporting structure that is foldable against the under side of "the board to make it convenient'for storing the board when it is not in use; it being the principal object of the invention to provide a supporting structure having a pair of rear legs that are caused to automatically spread apart when moved from a position folded against the board to aposition for supporting it, and which likewise are caused to be drawn together within the "side limits of the board when moved'back to theposition folded against'the board:

It is also an object of this invention to provide a supporting structure wherein therear legs are connected'with a front leg in a manner 'and'by certain means whereby'movement of the latter from a supporting positiontoa; position folded against the board automatically effects 'ajmovement of the rear legs from their supportingfposb tion to a position folded against the board."

Another object of the invention isto providea supporting structure that willsupportthe board rigidly and solidly; and which may be readily and conveniently released to permit it to be collapsed and folded against the board."- v j f' Other objects of the invention residjin the details of construction and in the combination 30 of parts and in their mode of operatiori'yaswill hereinafter be'fully described. y I

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention I have provided the irnpr'oveddetails of construction, the preferred forms fo'f 3 which are illustrated'in the accompanying draw- -ingWherein- V f j V "J Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the present board set up for use, showing'in dotted lines the position of the legs while beingmoved between supporting position and-a postion folded against the board. j

Fig. 2 is an under side view of the boardwith the front and rear legs folded against itb I w 45 Fig. 3 is a rear end view of the board; the a front leg being omitted for; clearerillustration Fig. 4 is a detail and; side view of a toggle joint. Fig. 5 is an under side view of the same. Fig. 6 is a cross section on line 6-6 in Fig. 4. 50 Referring more in detail to the drawing- The ironing board top or table is designated by reference numeral I. Fixed securely to the under side of the top, near its rear end, is a cross bar 2 having downturned, opposite end por- 55 tions forming mounting ears 3 and 3' for across rod The opposite ends of the cross rod 4 extend rotatably through perforations in the ears and terminate slightly beyond the ears.

Fixed on the opposite ends of the cross rod 4 at the outside of the ears 3 and 3' are rear legs 5 Sand 5' of the supporting frame structure. These legs have holes bored therethrough at their upper ends to tightly receive the ends of the cross rod 4 and the legs are held on the rod by nuts 6 threaded onto itsends. Joining legs 5 and 5' 10 slightly below the medial point, is a toggle link comprising opposite endsectionsl-l' pivotally 'connected at their outer ends by pivot bolts l0 secured by rivet 9 to overlie the joined ends 20 ofthe sections.

This cap comprises the top portion I llld,'- as seen in Fig. 6, and has downturned opposite side flanges lflb and I00 through which rivet 9 is extended. The top portion Illa -lies flatly against the top edge of the toggle section 1' and is thereby prevented from any pivotal movement relative to that section, but by reason of the -round end of section 1 this section may -'move' hingedly'to permit the toggle to break upwardl 'as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The toggle cannot break downwardly, however, beyond 'adef nite line which is just slightly below the "the 'outerends of the toggle. I Fixed to the under side of the board, flush with the rear endyedge, is across piece I2 on which a bracket- I3 isfixed centrally of the board. This "bracket has slightly spaced, downturned ears 14 44 alined transversely of the board to which i 'the" upper" ends of the rigid links l5-I5 are 40 pivotally-attached by pivot bolts I6 and I5. At the lowerends of these links they are connected pivotally' to the sections 1-1. respectively of the toggle I link by pivot bolts I'l--Il' located at points symmetrically spaced within and relatively 'clo'se to the outer ends of the sections '|1. --"-It-"i's"'observed by reference to Fig. 1 that the points of connection of the links I5-|5' with the bracket [3 are in alinement parallel with the rod 4 and eccentric of the axial line of the rod, therefore, when the legs 5-5 are swung forwardly from supporting position as to the dotted line position of Fig. 1, the links I5l5' will pull upwardly on the toggle link section and will cause the toggle to break upwardly as seen in dead center line drawn between the pivots and 

